Considerable effort has been directed in recent years toward obtaining substances which are useful in the treatment of hyperlipidemia, a condition associated with elevated serum lipid levels, e.g., elevated cholesterol, phospholipid and/or triglyceride serum levels. This condition is associated with a number of diseases, one of the most serious being atherosclerosis. Medicaments used to lower cholesterol, phospholipid and triglyceride serum levels are termed hypolipidemic or antilipidemic drugs. Presently three major lipid-lowering agents are available: clofibrate, D-thyroxine, and nicotinic acid. [R. I. Levy and D. S. Fredrickson, Post-graduate Medicine, Vol. 47, pps. 130-136 (1970).] The class of lipid lowering compounds encompassed by the present invention may be referred to as para-[aryl(alkyl or alkenyl)amino]benzoic acid derivatives.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,716,644 discloses and claims a method of lowering serum lipid levels in mammals by the administration of certain meta and para alkoxybenzoic acids, esters, pharmaceutically acceptable salts and pharmaceutical compositions thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,416 discloses and claims certain 4-(monoalkylamino)benzoic acids, esters, pharmaceutically acceptable salts, pharmaceutical compositions thereof and a method of lowering serum lipid levels in mammals therewith. German Pat. No. 716,668 discloses the compound p-[(3-phenylpropyl)amino]benzoic acid, however, no utility other than that in a chemical process is given for the compound. The compound p-benzylaminobenzoic acid is disclosed in Chemical Abstracts 42:5033b, 43:1345i, 54:2487e, 48:649b, 48:32846c and 49:10886g; ethyl p-benzylaminobenzoate in Chemical Abstracts 38:P2346.sup.2, 51:8720 g and J. Org. Chem. 26:1437 (1961); p-[(p-methoxybenzyl)amino]benzoic acid in J. Chem. Soc. 1088 (1970); ethyl p-(.beta.-phenethylamino)benzoate and p-(.beta.-phenethylamino)benzoic acid in Chemical Abstracts 40:559.sup.3 ; and the compound p-[.beta.-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethylamino]benzoic acid in Chemical Abstracts 54:13154 g. No prior art is known which discloses the para-[aryl(alkyl or alkenyl)amino]benzoic acid derivatives of this invention and/or their utility as antilipidemic agents.